Summary
In the UK, there are 600,000 off-grid devices using RTS to manage the heating/electricity usage.
According to this article, the RTS network will shut down on 30 June 2025.
Question
Is there an opportunity for LoraWan / TTN to replace RTS?
Hi Derek, been a while!
Theoretically and technically yes…practically no! 
I 1st looked at this back in 2010/11 (long before LoRa/LoRaWAN was a thing) when I was consutling and contributing to discussions on the then planned UK SM project and was looking at another, earlier low power RF comms tech - but too many people & companies with own agendas and ‘closed’ to ideas of other emerging RF/Comms solutions at the point when the Beeb were initially looking to shut down the service (originally in the 2015-2018 timeframe IIRC), and revisited again 2013-15 after LoRa was announced and introduced to the market and just before/shortly after LoRaWAN became public… Interestingly by then Semtech not only had LoRa but also had a significant relationship with the Beeb and the eng teams directly and through key suppliers as they provided the key data comms silicon used for digital camera’s, studio effects and switching equipment interfaces etc (SDI & Later UHD-SDI/serdes interface components [and X-bar switches (fancy some up to 256 port non blocking 3GHz video switching any body?! massive components and a real tech tour de force)]. But it (LoRa/LORaWAN) was then considered too immature and early and of course needed 2 key elements:
-
National (or atleast very significant geographical) coverage to support the roll out and enable the tariff switching etc.
-
Irrespective of technology used as replacement all the deployed meters would require swapping or retrofit for new comms solution.
Of course now we have that steaming mess that is the UK Smart Meter programme and all the vested interests are determined that any replacement should simply be the role out of existing types of SMETS meters on existing networks (even though 3G doing dark, and many meters will again need replacing through 2030!) rather than adopt something ‘new’ (all be it >10 years old now 
) I looked again pre-Covid and through when we last spoke/met up knowing that the delayed switch off would have to happen ‘sometime’ but met massive resistance If we had had a national LoRaWAN network and champion(s) post launch (mid/late 2010’s) as had been hoped/expected we might now be in a better position, but even outside such private comms operator space the community focussed TTN is far too patchy (despite best efforts from some of us! 
) , as are I suspect the local/regional operators that have since emerged in territory, and with the latest announcements (which might actually impact up to 830k units according to some sources I have spoken with) there is no way to do practically in the time frame. On opportunity lost…
Some work could be done in a few areas as noted and if you know of anyone who might want to pull me into a discussion or project team I might be able to free up some time (commercial rates of course vs TTN Forum pro bono 
!)
1 Like
Shades of Airwave TETRA moving to ESN.
Fat chance that we are organised enough to switch them over.
But given some docs, a workshop, soldering iron & a shotgun*, I suspect a repeater solution to broadcast to a local area covering hundreds of houses could be whipped up. The beauty of LF is that we don’t need much power and 50 bits of payload is so very LW friendly.
Both highlight the UK’s inability to arrange a party in a hops-to-beverage processing plant.
- shotgun to keep management from helping.
2 Likes
I hear IBM stepping in?
Irony/symmetry given their contribution to the development of LoRaWAN (LMIC etc…) ! Perhaps fate is saying LW can help after all? 
Updated to add UK Gov contract notice link:
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/001272-2025
@~£1.3Bn they won on price! 
I wasn’t thinking so much IBM having done LMIC (in Austria, so totally different division and I’m sure you’ll know they don’t talk much to each other), as the general ClusterF of UK tech procurement by the government.
Bending 4G to work up to 10,000’ and 12 miles off-shore - meh. Why not 4G handsets on the ground and use a special handset if you are on a boat or an aircraft, it’s not like personnel unexpectedly end up on such a vehicle - unless they drive their land based transport in to a river.
Found out in one meeting that a service tried to save money on SMS broadcasts by reducing the number of (potentially life saving) alerts. It took me five seconds to realise that the price they were paying per SMS and the price I would pay via my provider meant I could make a fair margin & save them money, but my offer was declined …
IBM Research Zurich CH, working closely with SMTC Neuchatel CH and Grenoble FR IIRC.
WRT rest especially
Broadly agree!